GUIDELINES ON INCLUSION OF WOMEN, MINORITIES, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN NIH SPONSORED
AND/OR SUPPORTED INTRAMURAL AND EXTRAMURAL SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES
NIH GUIDE, Volume 24, Number 15, April 28, 1995 (see Update NOT-OD-03-066)
P.T. 34
Keywords:
Grants Administration/Policy+
National Institutes of Health
Effective date: March 31, 1995
INTRODUCTION
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizes the value of
supporting scientific meetings relevant to its health and scientific
mission. In addition, NIH affirms that the value of scientific
meetings is enhanced by including participants from all segments of
the scientific population and, when appropriate, members of the lay
community, in both the planning and conduct of such meetings.
Further, the NIH Revitalization Act (P.L. 103-43, Section 206), which
adds section 402(b) to the Public Health Service Act, requires NIH to
"in conducting and supporting programs for research, research
training, recruitment, and other activities, provide for an increase
in the number of women and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds
(including racial and ethnic minorities) in the fields of biomedical
and behavioral research." In addition, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act require
reasonable accommodations to be provided to individuals with
disabilities.
POLICY
It is the NIH policy that organizers of scientific meetings should
make a concerted effort to achieve appropriate representation of
women, racial/ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities, and
other individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in
science, in all NIH sponsored and/or supported scientific meetings.
In addition, organizers who name NIH as a sponsor or use NIH
facilities must make a concerted effort to achieve appropriate
representation in compliance with this policy. "Appropriate" means
representation based on the availability of scientists from these
groups known to be working in a particular field of biomedical or
behavioral research. The plans to seek appropriate representation
should be specified during selection of organizing committees,
speakers, and other invited participants, such as session chairs and
panel discussants. In addition, efforts should be made to encourage
attendance by women, minorities and persons with disabilities at all
NIH sponsored and/or supported scientific meetings as a means of
increasing their participation in the particular scientific field.
The plans to seek appropriate representation will be included as an
evaluation criterion during review of the requests for funding for
these meetings.
This policy shall apply to all domestic or international scientific
meetings sponsored by and/or receiving support from the NIH.
"Scientific meetings" include all meetings, conferences, workshops,
symposia, seminar series, and lectures that involve
organizing/planning committees, expenditure of funds, invited
participants, or are nationally or internationally advertised. Such
meetings may be initiated by the NIH's institute, center or division
(ICD) extramural and intramural programs or by contracts, or may be
investigator-initiated requests for grants or cooperative agreements.
Reasonable efforts should be made, as well, to fulfill the goal of
this policy for single seminars sponsored by NIH laboratories or
extramural programs.
All NIH sponsored and/or supported conferences must be held at
accessible sites, as outlined by section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 and, as applicable, the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990. Conference registration materials should provide a question
that will allow participants with disabilities to voluntarily
identify any special needs, so that conference organizers can make
plans to accommodate these needs.
When making awards for grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts
for scientific meetings, NIH will work with applicants as necessary
to assist them to comply with this policy. NIH's extramural and
intramural staff who initiate scientific meetings must comply with
this policy. It is the responsibility of the ICD Directors to
implement this policy. The NIH Director will assure that all
extramural and intramural programs comply with this policy.
NOTE: NIH adopts the Office of Management and Budget definitions
provided in Directive Number 15 for racial and ethnic categories for
the purposes of this policy: American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian
or Pacific Islander; Black (not of Hispanic origin); Hispanic; and
White(not of Hispanic origin). Whites are defined as the majority
group; the remaining categories comprise the racial/ethnic
minorities. The classification of an individual is by self-
identification. A person with a disability means any person who (a)
has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or
more of such person's major life activities; (b) has a record of such
an impairment; or (c) is regarded as having such an impairment, as
described under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Scientific societies and
organizations may facilitate this process by making relevant
information voluntarily provided by their membership available to
members planning such scientific meetings.
INQUIRIES
For additional information about these guidelines contact the
following staff person in the appropriate awarding component:
Dr. Miriam Kelty
Office of Extramural Affairs
National Institute on Aging
Gateway Building, Room 2C218F
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-9322
Email: mk46u@nih.gov
Dr. Kenneth Warren
Office of Scientific Affairs
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Willco Building, Room 409
Rockville, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 443-4375
Email: kwarren@willco.niaaa.nih.gov
Dr. John McGowan
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Solar Building, Room 4C07
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-7291
Email: jm80c@nih.gov
Dr. Stephen Gordon
Extramural Programs
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Natcher Building, Room 45/5AS25U
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 594-4977
Email: gordons@ep.niams.nih.gov
Dr. Yvonne Maddox
Deputy Director
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Building 31, Room 2A03
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-1848
Email: ym5n@nih.gov
Dr. Earleen Elkins
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
6120 Executive Boulevard, EPS-400C
Rockville, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-8693
Email: ee19u@nih.gov
Dr. Lois K. Cohen
Extramural Program
National Institute of Dental Research
Natcher Building 45, Room 4AN18E
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 594-7710
Dr. Walter Stolz
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Natcher Building 45, Room 6AS25C
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 594-8834
Email: stolzw.niddk@dvsgate.niddk.nih.gov
Ms. Eleanor Friedenberg
Office of Extramural Program Review
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Parklawn Building, Room 10-42
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-2755
Email: ef27d@nih.gov
Dr. Anne Sassaman
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Building 3, Room 301A
P.O. Box 12233
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Telephone: (919) 541-7723
Email: as56j@nih.gov
Dr. Sue Shafer
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Natcher Building 45, 2AN32D
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 594-4499
Email: ss78v@nih.gov
Dr. Hugh Stamper
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
Parklawn Building, Room 9-105
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-3367
Email: hs19s@nih.gov
Dr. Constance Atwell
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Federal Building, Room 1016
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-9248
Email: ca23c@nih.gov
Dr. Teresa Radebaugh
Extramural Programs
National Institute of Nursing Research
Natcher Building 45, Room 3AN32D
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 594-5968
Email: tradebaugh@ep.ninr.nih.gov
Dr. Marvin Kalt
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
Executive Plaza North, Room 600C
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-5147
Email: kaltm@dea.nci.nih.gov
Dr. Ralph Helmsen
Research Training and Resources Officer
National Eye Institute
Executive Plaza South, Room 350
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-5301
Email: rjh@eps.nei.nih.gov
Dr. Ronald Geller
Division of Extramural Affairs
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Rockledge 2, Room 7100
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 435-0260
Email: rg33k@nih.gov
Dr. Milton Corn
Division of Extramural Programs
National Library of Medicine
Building 38A, Room 5N503
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-4621
Email: mc105x@nih.gov
Dr. Louise Ramm
Deputy Director for Extramural Research Resources
National Center for Research Resources
One Rockledge Centre, Room 5158, MSC 7965
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 435-0879
Email: louiser@ep.ncrr.nih.gov
Dr. Mark Guyer
Assistant Director for Program Coordination
National Center for Human Genome Research
Building 38A, Room 605
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-0844
Email: mg25m@nih.gov
Dr. Kenneth Bridbord
Chief, International Studies Branch
Fogarty International Center
Building 31, Room B2C39
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-2516
Email: kb16r@nih.gov